Sprout

Fleeing all that reminds him of his wife's death, Bob Bradford runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere. That's why native Long Islander Daniel Bradford, a.k.a. Sprout, ends up living in a trailer in Hutchinson, Kansas. Sprout's preternatural writing talent has earned him the attention of Mrs. Miller, a teacher who's determined to make Sprout a winner at the state's annual essay-writing contest. Sprout wants to write about his sexual identity, but Mrs. Miller knows that won't fly in her conservative state. Then Sprout meets Ty, a neighboring boy from an abusive family, whose friendship raises questions Sprout can't answer.